The Pretender's Architect
by Anni3
Summary: Takes place after Inception.  Cobb and Jarod creating dreams and fighting injustice. Possible Fischer/Ariadne so check back! T for violence.  Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I own nothing; takes place after Inception. Possible Fischer/Ariadne.  
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Ariadne walked down the sidewalk by the terminal, after her and Cobb and the rest had completed Fischer's 3-level dream. She got into a taxi and figuratively said goodbye to Cobb forever... or so she thought.

"What's your name?" her cabbie asked.

"Ariadne, what's yours?" She was curious as to why a cabbie would be so inquisitive, especially since she hadn't given him a location to drive to yet.

"My name is Jarod. Where to?" he asked.

"Metropolitan Center," she said easily.

"I love Metropolitan Center," said Jarod. "I practiced at the skating rink when I was a figure skater."

Ariadne shook her head confusedly. "And you're a cabbie now because...?"

"Let's just say I have other interests," Jarod said.

"Like driving people around New York?"

"Exactly. It gets me out of my own head."

Was this guy for real? He seemed way too chipper, Ariadne thought. She fell silent.

"So, why do you like Metropolitan Center?" Jarod asked casually.

"Because it's relaxing; just to sit and people-watch."

Jarod nodded. "Do you know a man by the name of Fischer?" he asked suddenly.

"Y-yes, of course." Who _was_ this guy Jarod, anyway?

"Do you know where I might find him?" Jarod said.

"Why should I trust you?" Ariadne asked warily.

Jarod said nothing and continued focusing on the road.

"Is it important?" Ariadne finally asked.

"His life might be in danger, and I can help."

"How can _you_ help? You're just a cabbie... no offense."

"I'm versatile."

Once Ariadne got to Metropolitan Center, she people-watched for a while, all the time thinking about how Jarod talked with her. Could she trust Jarod? Should she talk to Cobb and ask whether it was wise to give out more information? No, after all, Jarod wasn't an architect of dreams or anything... was he? On the other hand, who's to say he isn't dangerous?

Since Ariadne and Arthur lived together in an apartment decently close to Metropolitan Center, she walked home.

"Hey, babe," Arthur said, hugging Ariadne before she'd even closed the door to their cramped living space.

"A strange man asked me about Fischer," Ariadne said immediately. "He was my cabbie, his name's Jarod, and he said Fischer might be in danger. He was asking me whether I knew where Fischer was."

"Did you tell him he's at the airport? Or maybe he's at home by now..." Arthur's voice trailed off. Arthur thought it was a strange set of circumstances as well. Cobb wouldn't probably know anything about it.

Arthur's cell phone rang. "Cobb," he said.

"Arthur, something has happened. I need you to go to Guardian of Faith's Hospital right now! Don't bring Ariadne; it looks real bad."

"Cobb? What happened? Are you all right?" Realizing that Cobb had hung up, Arthur started toward the door.

"What is it?" Ariadne asked.

"No time; I'll be at GF. I'll call you," Arthur said, closing the door.

"GF! Why?" Ariadne wondered why Arthur didn't bring her. When something severe like that arose, he'd usually be the first to whisk her along, not shut the door in her face.

Jarod had staked out a place to stay a few days prior to picking Ariadne up. He was overqualified for the job of cabbie; but it was a job that could get him into contact with a lot of people and ask questions about Fischer. Jarod knew even before Cobb did that something was going to happen to Fischer. Also, since GF was near the airport, Jarod went to that hospital and recalled one of his last pretends: a surgeon.

"I'm new on staff: Jarod Hauser." He would have shaken hands with the nurses but he was scrubbed up and ready to go.

"Robert Fischer, BP 90/80, he's going into shock!" one of the nurses said quickly.

Jarod remained calm as he noticed that Fischer had been shot on the right side of the chest. He'd seen hundreds of pictures like it before in medical literature. Plus, with his knowledge of how to remove bullets, Fischer was out of the operating room much faster than anyone anticipated.

Cobb came through the door once he'd heard that Fischer was in his own room. "How is he?" Cobb yelled at Jarod.

"He's stable; I removed the bullet during surgery and sutured him so the wound will be cleaner and heal faster."

"Cobb!" Arthur said, bursting into the room.

"He's fine," reassured Cobb. "Dr..."

"Hauser," Jarod supplied.

"Dr. Hauser did the surgery, and Fischer is going to be all right. He is, isn't he?"

"He'll be as good as new within a few days," Jarod said.

Arthur slumped against the wall. "Thank you," he breathed at last.

"Thank _you_, Arthur, for not bringing Ariadne. She would have been too upset," said Cobb.

"I had a hard enough time getting here," Arthur replied. "Some guy with a suit and gun I've never seen tried to shoot me."

Cobb looked at the floor, then at Jarod. "Know anything about that?"

"Did he say what his name was?" Jarod asked.

"Only that he was looking for the cabbie," said Arthur; shrugging.

Jarod said, "Call the nurses to take care of Fischer," and pushed past Cobb and Arthur.

"Hey!" Cobb yelled, surprised. Glancing down the hall, Cobb didn't see Jarod anywhere.

"Should we go after him?" Arthur asked.

"Mr. Charles?" a voice said from their right side.

"Fischer," Cobb responded. "Don't move; you're hurt."

"Mr. Charles, has there been a security breach? You'd tell me right?" Fischer asked groggily; his eyes remaining closed.

Arthur nodded knowingly. Mr. Charles was a ploy used in the 3-level dream called Inception that they had just pulled off.


	2. Chapter 2

Cobb took his totem out of the pocket of his suit jacket to see if he was in someone else's dream. He used Fischer's bedside table to assist. If they were all dreaming, where were their bodies resting? Was Jarod dreaming? Was this Jarod's dream? The totem indicated that Cobb _was_ in someone else's dream. Whose? Cobb hadn't heard from Eames since that morning when they had all deplaned. Ariadne might be, but that didn't make sense. An unnerving thought overtook him: Mal. Was Mal doing this to continue her downward spiral? How could she do that? She was in limbo. Cobb's face betrayed his anxiety and Arthur walked over to him.

"Cobb?" Arthur said softly.

"Mr. Charles, I think something bad happened. I can't remember," said Fischer.

Cobb turned toward Fischer's hospital bed and asked, "What _do_ you remember? How did you get here?" Cobb thought using the same method he had in the Inception sequence of dreams may help Fischer.

Fischer's eyes closed slowly. "I was... I was walking out of the airport terminal, and I got into a black car," he said, his eyes closing even tighter.

"Good," said Cobb, replacing his totem in his pocket. "What kind of black car? Sedan, coupe, older-model, new, scratched, dirty?"

Fischer's eyes opened at once. "Long older luxury car, leather... no, cloth. Cloth seats."

Cloth? Cobb wondered, exchanging glances with Arthur. "What type of cloth? What color?"

"Sheets, white sheets, smooth..." said Fischer.

"The type of sheets used to cover upholstered furniture in a house?" Cobb asked.

"Yes," said Fischer slowly.

Arthur interjected, "As if to cover something up."

"Or protect the seats from – blood. Mr. Fischer, you are definitely in a great deal of danger," Cobb realized. Jarod had been right. "Did you get a look at the driver?" Cobb asked desperately.

Fischer had fallen asleep from the pain medication.

"Great, now what?" said Arthur.

"We go to Eames," said Cobb decisively. "Figure out who the architect is; if it's not him."

"Should I stay with Fischer, then?" asked Arthur.

"Get Ariadne now," said Cobb.

Arthur called Ariadne from Cobb's cab. "Hey Air, watch Fischer at GF for us. We're..." Arthur trailed off, looking at Cobb. "We're leaving." The less the cabbie knew, the better. Arthur made sure it wasn't Jarod before they even got in; just in case.

The destination, Cobb and Arthur both knew, was Germany. Cobb had called Eames, who loved Europe in general, but Germany was where he'd be. Several days had seemed to pass since the Inception sequence, and Arthur had gotten used to being on planes, and didn't mind traveling so much. He was a little disappointed at having to leave Ariadne behind, but someone they trusted had to watch Fischer. Jarod was too unknown.

Alighting in Frankfurt, Cobb knew just where to find Eames. In the back corner of a hotel bar, Arthur and Cobb found Eames pretending to read the newspaper. Barely glancing up, he said, "Ah, you've brought Arthur. Must be an extremely elementary project," Eames' voice dripped with dislike.

"Funny," replied Arthur, helping himself to the seat across from Eames.

"Look, Fischer is in trouble, and we need your help with - the architect," said Cobb in a whisper, seating himself.

"Oh, I see," Eames contemplated. "And, why can't your little lab rat here help you?"

Arthur glared at Eames' put-down. "Because it's bigger than we expected." Gesturing with his hands, Arthur continued mutedly, "We don't know who's dream it is. Jarod is a cabbie and a surgeon, and we can't trust him. We need _your_ help."


End file.
